2. 2002 First Round, Game 5 vs. PhiladelphiaCeltics win 120-87
Pierce: 46 points, 8-for-10 from deep
Everything came together in this one for the Truth. It was his first playoff series. It was a do-or-die Game 5. The 76ers had come from down 2-0 to win the next two in Philly. Allen Iverson was at the height of his popularity, having come off a trip to the Finals and a MVP. I was a big Sixer fan at the time, and still remember watching this game at a friend’s house, doing whatever I could to get luck on my side. My attempts were futile. Pierce literally couldn’t miss, scoring 29 of his 46 in the first half, and it was a colossal blowout from the start. Philly never had a chance, and I could only sit on a couch, miserable. For me, this was Pierce’s coming out party. Iverson was considered one of the two or three best players in the league at the time, and the Celtics – behind the Truth – had taken him out in the first round. For me, that meant something.